NSW Govt under fire for weakening gun laws

The new restrictions will only apply to handgun ammunition because issues over long arm ammunition are still being ironed out.

The State government is being accused of bowing to gun interests over its decision to weaken gun ammunition laws.

The government has confirmed laws passed last May to ensure gun owners can only purchase ammunition specific to their registered weapon will finally be enacted next month.

But the restrictions will only apply to handgun ammunition as there are still issues over the control of long arm ammunition to be finalised.

Samantha Lee from Gun Control Australia says the government appears to have caved to gun interests.

"This legislation was a bit of a toothless tiger anyway because it does not limit the amount of ammunition a person can purchase at any given time," she said.

"We think it's time for Julia Gillard to step in and for firearms laws to be deferred to the federal government."

The Nationals' spokesman on firearms, Rick Colless, says that, just for the moment, applying the regulations only to handguns ammunition will ease many concerns.

"There's not a lot of handguns and pistols used by farming families," he said.

"I know that the biggest problem in Sydney of course is those short arms, the pistols and if the restrictions were restricted to those sorts of firearms then it would be a lot easier for people in regional NSW to accept."

Apollo concerns

Meanwhile, police are rejecting concerns a new operation to crack down on gun crime will divert officers from other investigations.

The Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad will be in charge of Operation Apollo which is aimed at reducing the number of shootings across Sydney.

But it is understood some senior police fear other serious crimes will be ignored.

The head of Operation Apollo, Detective Superintendent Arthur Katsogiannis, says that assumption is completely wrong.

"I can guarantee you that we're not dropping the ball at all on organised crime whether it be middle eastern or otherwise," he said.

"What we're doing is we're intensifying our efforts on targeting those responsible for being in possession of illegal firearms or for those responsible for the shootings."

There have been 15 separate shootings in Sydney this year, three of which were fatal.